Hi, My 6 y/o Westie has suffered for the past 2-3 years with terrible itchy skin. Seen a specialist who said the allergy testing wouldn’t be reliable as she was older when the problems began. The malaseb wash seems to irritate her skin more and she is now being treated with Apoquel. My question is did anyone else experience this with the malaseb wash and does anyone have any experience with long term use of Apoquel? Any other tips/info that has helped other Westies would be so greatly appreciated!
Itchy skin is a common problem in the breed, and Apoquel has been the answer for so many. Years ago, before it became available, one of my former vets employed a woman who had specialised in dog skin problems. She was convinced of the benefits of Evening Primrose Oil, and always recommended it for itchy Westies. I was working in pet food retailing at that time, and know first-hand that a fair percentage did report an improvement. Might be worth a try?
All of Pereg's vitamins and supplements were human products, many of which I also take. I just gave her a dosage according to her weight. Some of Tikva's are still human products although iHerb now do supply some canine specific ones, which have identical ingredients to the human ones. If, for any reason, she would need evening primrose oil, I would buy the lowest dose human product for her.
We found the diet had a lot to do with the skin problems. Once we did a Westie diet, we haven't had to go to the vet for skin problems anymore - that was 13 years ago at least. (Yes, she's still around!)
Hi....yes diet is crucial ......a natural diet .....I always feed raw natural diet, fresh veg and fruit. For a Westie...... no beef, dairy, soya, carbohydrates of any description.....includes rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, all grains, etc etc. No foods with high glycemic index, no eggs. No colourants or preservatives at all, no biscuits at all. Avoid washing, soaps, chemicals, dry shampoos. Mine is 4 years never washed.....not good for there skin. Be very careful what you put on their skin......ideally nothing.....despite what anyone says...... Look up dogs naturally magazine......all about allergies, dog food, vaccinations etc.
